Washing machine



Dec. 13, 1927. 1,652,273

' F. G. GIES WASHING MACHINE Original Filed Nov; 20. 1926 2 Sheets-Sneet 1 gwvewtoo Whi Dec. 13, 1927; 1,652,273

F. G. GIES WASHING MACHINE Original FiledNomZO. 192s 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

- with a cranlr 22.

Patented Dec. 13, 1927.

UNITED STATES sins, or nnrnorr, MICHIGAN, assrenon To one SALES AND snnv'rcn COM- renr, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN,

A CORPORATION OF MIGHIGAN.

' WASHING MACHINE.

Original application filed November 20, 1926, Serial No. 149,603. Divided and this application filed April 20, 1927.

'Une oi the primary objects of my insention is to provide asimple, economical and ethcientarrangement of change speed gearing for operating the machine at different speeds.

Other and further objects of my invention will be apparent as the specification progresses, and it may be stated that my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and construction of the various parts oi my improved device as described in the specification, claimed in my claims and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which: i

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my improved machine, parts'being broken away to illustrate the agitator drive contained therein;

Fig. 2 is a central sectinal view of the driving connections, lubricating system and changespeed gearing utilized inmy inven tion. 1

T have shown a washingmachine compris'- ing a plurality of legs 5 supporting a base 6 on which is mounted astationary tub 7 having a removable top 3. The bottom of the tub 7 is provided with a central opening or aperture 9 thru which the hub 10 of an agitator extends. The agitator is composed ot a base portion 11 and wing portions 12. it housing 13 is secured to the bottom of the tub 7 asat 1 1. A boss 15 isprovided in the bottom of the housing 13 and a bolt 16 is extended from the agitator base 11 thru the hub llland boss 15 to a point outside the housing 13. A. suitable bushing or hearing 1'1" is provided in the hub 10 and around the bolt 16. The head 18 of the bolt 16 bears against the upper end of the bushing 17 and a nut 19 is provided on the lower end of the bolt, and is adapted to be screwed thereon i'or rigidly securing the bolt in place. A look Washer 20 is provided between the nut 19 and the boss 15.. There is little or no possibility ot water leaking thru the aperture in the boss 15 but it it is desired, a sealing gasket may be placed either between the washer 20 and boss 15 or between the boss 15 and bearing 17. Also, the bearing 17 may be made 01' self-lubricating material such as is commonly used in providing 'oilless bearings.

Depending from the base 11 of the agitator is a pin 21 which is adapted to connect The crank 22 is connected Serial No. 185,130."

by a connecting rod 23 to a crank 24; on the end of a shaft 25in the housing 26. The shaft 25 is keyed at its upper end to the gears 27 and 28 within the housing 29.

Extending in parallel relation to the shaft housing 26 is the shaft housing 30 which has on its upper end a housing 31 within which are positioned gears 32 and 33 meshing with the. gears 27 and 28 respectively. The gears 32 and 33 'areireely rotatable on the shaft 34 within the housing 30. The lower end of the shaft 34 is provided with a worm gear 35, mounted in the. enlarged bottom housing 36 and 'conncctedby a worm with the motor shaft 37 on the electric motor 38.

Longitudinally slidable on the shaft 3 1 is a shifting collar 39 which is engaged by the arm 40 connected thru the rod 11 with a shifting arm 42. The shifting collar 39 has connected therewith and keyed to the shaft 34:, clutch members 413 and 44 adaptedto alternately engage with the clutch members 45 and 46 respectively. The clutch members 4:53 and 16 are respectively integral with the gears 32 and 33 so that when the clutch member 13 is engaged with the clutch member 415, the gear 32 willvbe driven and rotation of the gear 32 will cause rotation of the gear 27 and shaft 25 at what may be termed high speed. On the other hand, when the clutch member 44: is engaged with the clutch member 16, the other two clutch members will be disengaged and the gear 33 will be driven, causing rotation of the gear 28 and shaft 25 at What may be termed low'speed. In Fig.

1 I have designated with the letters F, N and S the respective positions of the shifting lever 42 for fast, neutral and slow speeds, It will be understood, of course, that the rotation of the shaft 25 will cause rotation of the crank 24; and reciprocation of the connecting rod 23, thereby oscillating the agitator 11.

The water which is contained in the tank 7 has access to the housing 13, and in tact, the tub and housing may be drained by means of a pipe 17 connected with the housing 13 and having an outlet-end 18 and a valve 49', A cap 50 is also screwed into the housing 13 7 adjacent the outside end thereof for the pur;

' pose of providing access to the parts there;

in. i

It will be understood that the driving connection for the agitator entirely en cased within the housing 13 so that no moving parts areextended thru the bottom of' .the' housing 13 and a complete and absolute seal may be made around the stationary bolt "16 where it emerges from the housing .13.

The Water in thetub 7 will not only fill the housing 13 but may enter the housing 26 to the same level as is-present in the tab 7. There is no opportunity, however, for the water to leak from the housing 26, and it will be naturally drained therefrom when the tub is drained.

The shaft'34is provided, beneath the. worm gear 35, with a cam 51 which is adapted to engage with a pin 52 slidable in the aper tured boss 53 in the casing 36. A 'coil spring -59 communicates with the passage and is connected to a pipe which leads up thru the housing 30 to a point directly above the,

gears 32 and 33. An oil pocket or chamber 61 is provided in the bottom of the housing 36 and when the shaft'34 is rotated so that the shallow portion of the cam 51 contacts with the pin or plunger 52, the coil spring 54 will raise the plunger so as to uncover the passage 63, leading from the oil chamber, with the passage in the boss 53. Oil from the chamber 61 may thus pass thru the passage 63 and continued rotation of the shaft 34 to bring the high part of the cam 51 in contact with the plunger 52 will again force the plunger 52 downwardly and thereby force the oil which has gathered in the apertured boss 53 thru the passage 55, past the ball check 56 and out thru the passage 59 and pipe 60 to thegears 32 and 33. Thus,

' 34 extends.

bricated and excess oil will drip back along the housing 30 to the worm gear 35 an thence into the reservoir 61. i

A housing 64 is provided above the housing 29 into which the upper end of the shaft Theshaft 34 is clutched as at 65 to a shaft 66, which shaft upon rotation operates the wringer mechanism generally indicated at 7 O and which need not be herein specifically described.

' It will be apparent from the foregoing that the objects of the invention are simply and eificiently accomplished and that 'Vfllh ous changes may be made in the arrangement, combination and construction of the various partsof my improved device without departing from the spirit of my invention and it is my intention to cover by my claim such changes as may be reasonably included within the scope thereof.

It will further be apparent that the invention herein claimed is a division of my co pending application Serial No. 149,603 filed November 20, 1926.

Y What I claim is:

A washing machine drive comprising a drive shaft and driven shaft positioned parallel to each other, a pair of dill'erent sized gears fixed on one shaft and a pair of different sized gears freely rotatable on the other shaft, a clutch member fixed for rotation with the latter shaft but slidable thereon,.and having clutch teeth positioned above one of the latter gears and under the other, clutch teeth on said gears in juxtaposition to the clutch teeth on the clutch member, and means for sliding the clutch member on said shaft to alternately engage the two sets of its clutch teeth with the'two sets of clutch teeth on the gears.

FRANK G. GIES. 

